American shepherd breeds such as Australian and English Shepherds are touted for being wonderful "family" dogs who would help around the farm, protect the livestock, and be a loving and faithful companion to their family. Their good looks, intelligent eyes and fluffy coats also lend themselves to the ideal "perfect teddy bear" many families think of as a guardian and playmate for their young ones... but are they?
Adults
Who are the adults in the household? Who's dog will it be? (Pick one) This is YOUR dog, not the family's, not your wife's, not your husband's, not your kid's - YOURS. And it's not "a dog" - it's now one of your kids/children/family-members. Shepherding breeds are not suitable for the "backyard hamster" role so many people think a family dog should be. Shepherds stand out from the rest because they are not bred to be servile to humans; they're bred to be coworkers and peers to humans - to augment, assist, and help you. To deny them full participation in your life by leaving them in the yard at home 100% of the time is cruel. They want to feel useful and help you, and when they aren't allowed to do that, they feel like a failure.
Have you ever had a job where you felt like you could do more, but weren't allowed to? Did you feel under-utilized? Under-appreciated? Under-valued? Ok, you say, "but that was work - who wants to work if they don't have to? I'd love to have a dog's life and sit around all day doing nothing but collecting a paycheck (getting fed) at the end of the day." Would you really? Think about it - what would you do? You don't have a car, you don't have friends to play with, you don't have the internet, you're essentially locked in prison all day with no respite, no opportunity for adventure, and the only person you see all day is the warden. You'd start getting into trouble too!
Dogs can get depression too
Any dog needs to be stimulated and brought out to meet new people, dogs, and encounter new situations - this is what's called "socializing." Being socialized doesn't necessarily mean your dog likes every dog it meets - it means it can experience new and different experiences (sometimes scary!) and can roll with it. And to get plenty of these experiences, a dog has to participate in your life.
To do that, you need to provide your dog with a daily sense of safety and security in his place in life, by making sure he's fed on time, goes out regularly, has clean water to drink whenever he needs it...
Children
Now, onto the other members of your household - do you have kids? Planning on them? Older ones? Empty nest? Visiting grandchildren? Shepherd breeds are natural guardians - they're meant to be protectors of the stock they're herding, which means they will naturally be loyal to them. A shepherd's loyalty and love is easy, as they're bred to do both innately. But respect is something to be earned - and can be hard-won and/or a daily battle. As I've said above, they are not bred to be servile to mankind, but as peers to assist - and so they will fight you for that "right" to be an equal-partner. Which means everyone who is not you (You the primary owner, not the partner, family, etc.) is livestock to be monitored. Even you might be livestock if you're not worthy of respect. This is when the bossy problem-shepherd can come out. A child may think it's fun to have the dog wrestle with them on the floor and lay on top of them, or chase them around the yard, or think it's love when the dog wants to follow them around the house and won't leave them alone. Yes - love and loyalty is easy. But he probably thinks you are his "charge" needing watching - i.e. livestock. So he may be gentle and loving to your child, but don't think your child has any control over or respect from the dog. The dog may do tricks for treats, may be gentle and wonderful, or may decide your kids are playing too rough and steps in to break it up nipping someone... and then "oh, it's a vicious animal who hurt my baby!" No, he was playing "parent" and guardian as a guardian does to livestock. You are responsible for the dog staying in line, and the dog believes himself to be responsible for keeping everyone else in the family in line.
Shepherds are known as "rule enforcers." This may simply be enforcing routines - your dog may come in at 11:30pm with one ear half up, looking half-asleep and woof at you not because he wants food or needs to go out again, but because he's telling you to turn off the t.v. and go to bed! Or he may seem like he wants to go out five times to stand there and not do anything because he's trying to tell you he didn't get his evening walk or you forgot to feed the cat. Or he may be pacing around whining because you left your other dog outside and she wants to come in. Or, it may be by making sure the "underlings" know the dog is in charge...
So shepherding breeds can be wonderful family members - but you have to keep in mind that they are full members, not simply a "pet" or "animal". And also remember they need to participate fully in your life. As kids grow older and schedules become more hectic, this becomes more difficult to do.
Also be cognizant that shepherds, like many individuals on the autism spectrum, can be prone to over-stimulation when presented with too much sensory input - this is one area where children can be tricky. Children tend to have high shrill voices that may hurt their ears, children may run around unpredictably and the dog sees this as threatening, or the dog may be sensitive to touch, and while your touch is gentle and non-threatening, a child (like a puppy) doesn't understand pressure, sensitivity, or places that are "off-limits" to touching.
And, as stated above, a lot of dogs think of themselves as equals or higher than most humans until you've earned their respect - so to immediately go to pet them on their head or other "dominant" behaviors (in dog-language) is considered incredibly rude, disrespectful, discourteous, and generally makes a bad impression to the dog - so of course he's not going to like you! Children should be introduced one at a time and under strict supervision, and given proper guidance so as to not have poor introductions. And later, when children have friends over, it's important for them to make sure their friends will also introduce themselves in a calm, predictable manner.
A shepherd breed can be a wonderful addition to your family, but it comes down to respecting the dog as someone who should have the same full-rights and respect as any human in your household. Certainly rules will apply to it as they do to yourself and your children, as everyone plays a role - but your dog will need a role, a job, and the ability to fully participate in life in and out of the house if everyone is to be happy and satisfied.
Comments